Mango Punch!

2013

Walter Suhr has worn his signature hat for more than 20 years. It's as much a part of Mango Punch! as the band's effortless fusion of Latin, rock and pop rhythms.

The band's new album, "Mi sombrero y yo ("My hat and me"), is a relentlessly positive collection of Spanish and English songs. Suhr incorporates social issues into his writing, but the upbeat production keeps it from feeling heavy-handed or preachy - Houston Chronicle

2013

...Cuando se escriba el libro de la historia de la música latina en Houston, un capítulo deberá estar dedicado a esta banda de pop con ascendencia de ritmos antillanos, y a su fundador.

En su música, Mango Punch! cocina un revitalizador caldo sonoro que invita al baile, con aromas de rock, salsa, reggae, y vallenato, entre otros ritmos, sazonado todo con letras que mezclan el humor, el amor y la reflexión social. - David Dorantes, La Voz de Houston

Houston Chronicle

It’s nearing midnight on a steamy Friday night, and as usual, Elvia’s Cantina is packed. Five nights a week, the west side bar and supper club transforms itself into a Latin dance hall. But it’s Walter Suhr & Mango Punch!, one of Houston’s top-drawing tropical dance bands, that claim Friday nights as their own.
Mango Punch’s music is not traditional salsa. There are no horns and no battery of percussion instruments. It’s more like a stripped-down version of the Miami Sound Machine’s Latin-pop crossover approach.
To watch Suhr jumping on the speaker cabinets, exhorting the dancers in Spanish, you’d never suspect that this party animal is a former classical vocal student (sic) and aspiring pop balladeer who would like nothing better than to be taken seriously as a lyricist.
While local fans might require some re-education, Suhr’s songwriting skills have drawn attention nationally. One song from Pop/Rock, the salsa-flavored “Valemos la Pena”, won first place in the Latin category of the ninth annual Billboard Song Contest sponsored by Billboard magazine.
The contest draws tens of thousands of entries in 12 categories, including rock, country, gospel, jazz and rhythm and blues. The winners go through several levels of judging, according to contest director Derrick Davis of Oklahoma City.
“Generally, what the judges are looking for is that the song has good commercial appeal, and that the songs are strong in all areas of composition –lyrics, melody, changes, groove,” Davis said.
- RICK MITCHELL

Bravo! Houston (Semana entertainment supplement)

While most people recognize him as a high energy singer and band leader, few know Walter Suhr is also a songwriter, producer and businessman that recognizes his responsibilities as a public persona.
“From the very onset we decided we wanted Mango Punch! to be a crossover band. Even the name “Mango Punch!” we chose it because we wanted one word in Spanish and one word in English, something that both cultures could understand”.
“We always wanted to include Anglos in our audience and make them feel welcome,” he continues. “If we play just Spanish songs all night, then there’s going to come a time when no matter how much people like the music if they don’t understand the words they start to feel left out. So we make sure each set has something for people who don’t speak Spanish, too.”
“I really enjoy what I do,I love making people happy. And I want my audience to have a good time. All of the audience, the ones who speak Spanish and the ones who don’t. Everyone.”
Thanks to a video of “¿Qué me pongo?” that has received airplay on VH1 and other music television channels, Suhr’s audience is international.

- OLIVIA FLORES

It’s a bit misleading to label Mango Punch! a mere salsa band. Suhr… has maintained close ties to classic rock with Punch. If his band isn’t pounding out a salsa rhythm for the folks at Elvia’s Cantina, then it’s cranking out Top 40 tunes, Spanish rock and R&B covers for festivals and corporate parties. It’s all part of Suhr’s vision to make Mango Punch accessible to Houston’s multicultural population, a la Selena. - HOUSTON PRESS

It’s a bit misleading to label Mango Punch! a mere salsa band. Suhr… has maintained close ties to classic rock with Punch. If his band isn’t pounding out a salsa rhythm for the folks at Elvia’s Cantina, then it’s cranking out Top 40 tunes, Spanish rock and R&B covers for festivals and corporate parties. It’s all part of Suhr’s vision to make Mango Punch accessible to Houston’s multicultural population, a la Selena. - HOUSTON PRESS

A Houston-based salsa band, Mango Punch! incorporates the Hispanic sounds and rhythms of the Latin world beyond Mexico. As more Anglo-American folks discover the exciting rhythms of salsa –and how great the music is for dancing and romance- they are discovering that the Houston music scene has some first class practitioners of more than country and metal. Mango Punch! is a first class salsa band. Seek this album out if you want to add salsa to your next party! - PUBLIC NEWS

HOUSTON (Texas)-- El grupo houstoniano de música tropical latina, Walter Suhr y Mango Punch, representará la cultura hispana ante 130 millones de espectadores junto a Aerosmith, Toby Keith y Willie Nelson, en la apertura del Super Bowl de fútbol americano el próximo 1 de febrero.
Walter Suhr y Mango Punch es para Texas algo así como lo fue Miami Sound Machine para Miami, y su paso hacia el estrellato contará con el impulso de ser vistos nacionalmente por los 130 millones de espectadores del Super Bowl.
"Para mí es un gran orgullo, no sólo en lo personal, sino como latino", dijo a EFE Walter Suhr, líder del grupo.
Su grupo es, además, uno de los pocos latinos que han sido invitados para un show de apertura en los 38 años de historia del Super Bowl, junto con Santana, Los Del Río y Sergio Méndez. Otros artistas de origen hispano que han participado en espectáculos de intermedio del Súper Tazón han sido Gloria Estefan --en dos oportunidades--, Arturo Sandoval, Miami Sound Machine, Enrique Iglesias y Cristina Aguilera.
Para el Super Bowl se enfrentará con el reto de tener que cantar temas reconocibles por la mayoría de cerca del 92 por ciento de los espectadores del evento que no son de Houston, y que por tanto no están familiarizados con el grupo y sus temas originales.
Walter Suhr y Mango Punch tocará, a pedido de los productores del show, Hot, hot, hot, La Bamba y La Copa de la Vida, aunque en versiones completamente diferentes y que llevarán el sello del grupo.
- EFE

HOUSTON (Texas)-- El grupo houstoniano de música tropical latina, Walter Suhr y Mango Punch, representará la cultura hispana ante 130 millones de espectadores junto a Aerosmith, Toby Keith y Willie Nelson, en la apertura del Super Bowl de fútbol americano el próximo 1 de febrero.
Walter Suhr y Mango Punch es para Texas algo así como lo fue Miami Sound Machine para Miami, y su paso hacia el estrellato contará con el impulso de ser vistos nacionalmente por los 130 millones de espectadores del Super Bowl.
"Para mí es un gran orgullo, no sólo en lo personal, sino como latino", dijo a EFE Walter Suhr, líder del grupo.
Su grupo es, además, uno de los pocos latinos que han sido invitados para un show de apertura en los 38 años de historia del Super Bowl, junto con Santana, Los Del Río y Sergio Méndez. Otros artistas de origen hispano que han participado en espectáculos de intermedio del Súper Tazón han sido Gloria Estefan --en dos oportunidades--, Arturo Sandoval, Miami Sound Machine, Enrique Iglesias y Cristina Aguilera.
Para el Super Bowl se enfrentará con el reto de tener que cantar temas reconocibles por la mayoría de cerca del 92 por ciento de los espectadores del evento que no son de Houston, y que por tanto no están familiarizados con el grupo y sus temas originales.
Walter Suhr y Mango Punch tocará, a pedido de los productores del show, Hot, hot, hot, La Bamba y La Copa de la Vida, aunque en versiones completamente diferentes y que llevarán el sello del grupo.
- EFE

“… You played at our wedding at Vargo's on August 19th, 2000. Frank's family is Puerto Rican, and they love to dance. Everyone there, of every age group, danced all night. We still get compliments on our wedding. Many people tell us it was the best wedding they ever attended, and that yours was the best live performance they had ever seen. Naturally, when we started watching The Connection, we were surprised by how many excellent bands there are in Houston, and that made us think of you. So, the next thing you know, I had emailed the staff at the show and told them to check you out. I am so glad that they asked you to be on the show and that it went so well. I hope it brings you lots of great publicity. You truly deserve it.
Congratulations!”
- AUBREY GARCIA

“… You played at our wedding at Vargo's on August 19th, 2000. Frank's family is Puerto Rican, and they love to dance. Everyone there, of every age group, danced all night. We still get compliments on our wedding. Many people tell us it was the best wedding they ever attended, and that yours was the best live performance they had ever seen. Naturally, when we started watching The Connection, we were surprised by how many excellent bands there are in Houston, and that made us think of you. So, the next thing you know, I had emailed the staff at the show and told them to check you out. I am so glad that they asked you to be on the show and that it went so well. I hope it brings you lots of great publicity. You truly deserve it.
Congratulations!”
- AUBREY GARCIA

SILMARA GRENTZ:
“Wow, tremenda celebracion de mis 40 anos ! Mis amigas, sus hijas y yo la pasamos super divino. Todo superperfecto - el ambiente, la musica, el lugar, la comida. Mejor imposible. Comimos en el Aquarium en el balconcito que da al mar y aunque no los veiamos pudimos escuchar la musica y formar nuestro bailoteo mientras comiamos.Como vivimos tan lejos de Kemah rentamos una limosina asi que nos divertimos e hicimos tremendo reventon sin tener preocuparnos de manejar. Yo tenia otros planes pero me entere a principio de esta semana que iban a tocar en Kemah y lo cambie todo y super valio la pena ! Gracias por todos estos anos de buena diversion a traves de tu musica !!
- SILMARA GRENTZ

SILMARA GRENTZ:
“Wow, tremenda celebracion de mis 40 anos ! Mis amigas, sus hijas y yo la pasamos super divino. Todo superperfecto - el ambiente, la musica, el lugar, la comida. Mejor imposible. Comimos en el Aquarium en el balconcito que da al mar y aunque no los veiamos pudimos escuchar la musica y formar nuestro bailoteo mientras comiamos.Como vivimos tan lejos de Kemah rentamos una limosina asi que nos divertimos e hicimos tremendo reventon sin tener preocuparnos de manejar. Yo tenia otros planes pero me entere a principio de esta semana que iban a tocar en Kemah y lo cambie todo y super valio la pena ! Gracias por todos estos anos de buena diversion a traves de tu musica !!
- SILMARA GRENTZ

June 2009

Una casita blanca: New album from Mango Punch!
The veteran Houston group, led by Guatemala-born Walter Suhr, has established itself with a festive mix of Latin-pop and tropical rhythms. Una casita blanca (A little white house) takes that sturdy framework and builds on it, incorporating merengue, vallenato and swoon-worthy love songs.
Suhr has already taken Mango Punch! to impressive heights in its 15-year history. The group has recorded original tunes for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, the Houston Texans and performed at the 2004 Super Bowl pre-game show at Reliant Arena. That’s a far cry from humble beginnings at local Steak & Ale restaurants. (Remember those?)
The new disc, No. 5 in the Punch! repertoire, should afford the six-member band more opportunities in Texas and beyond. Suhr is a versatile, charismatic singer and sounds at ease on most variations of his trademark sound. He nails the romantic vibe and vallenato rhythms of the title track, which boasts keyboards by JJ Friere, drummer for defunct Latin-pop group Bacilos.
Suhr is also appropriately vulnerable during touching disc closer Unica. (“Magical and nothing typical/Girl, you are superb/You have opinions and conviction.”) It’s a lovely, understated display of emotion.
Zapatos is a salsafied ode to shoes (and the women obsessed with them), and Dar y Dar pairs flamenco guitars with sweltering percussion. Think a more interesting spin on the Gipsy Kings.
The rock-infused groove of Vete wouldn’t sound out of place on a Juanes album, and Suhr also gives the song an accessible, pop sensibility. There’s even some heartthrob sizzle during Bésame, whose bilingual lyrics recall the pop hits of Enrique Iglesias.
Fijese rides a rapid-fire merengue-rock groove, aided by longtime Santana keyboardist Tom Coster. It’s a confident, creative standout. Just Do It is an English-language salsa that mines an up-with-people earnestness.
Ultimately, Suhr’s biggest feat is taking so many sounds and styles but not coming across like a mere copycat. He stamps each song with his signature, making for a warm, welcoming casita.
- Joey Guerra

June 2009

Una casita blanca: New album from Mango Punch!
The veteran Houston group, led by Guatemala-born Walter Suhr, has established itself with a festive mix of Latin-pop and tropical rhythms. Una casita blanca (A little white house) takes that sturdy framework and builds on it, incorporating merengue, vallenato and swoon-worthy love songs.
Suhr has already taken Mango Punch! to impressive heights in its 15-year history. The group has recorded original tunes for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, the Houston Texans and performed at the 2004 Super Bowl pre-game show at Reliant Arena. That’s a far cry from humble beginnings at local Steak & Ale restaurants. (Remember those?)
The new disc, No. 5 in the Punch! repertoire, should afford the six-member band more opportunities in Texas and beyond. Suhr is a versatile, charismatic singer and sounds at ease on most variations of his trademark sound. He nails the romantic vibe and vallenato rhythms of the title track, which boasts keyboards by JJ Friere, drummer for defunct Latin-pop group Bacilos.
Suhr is also appropriately vulnerable during touching disc closer Unica. (“Magical and nothing typical/Girl, you are superb/You have opinions and conviction.”) It’s a lovely, understated display of emotion.
Zapatos is a salsafied ode to shoes (and the women obsessed with them), and Dar y Dar pairs flamenco guitars with sweltering percussion. Think a more interesting spin on the Gipsy Kings.
The rock-infused groove of Vete wouldn’t sound out of place on a Juanes album, and Suhr also gives the song an accessible, pop sensibility. There’s even some heartthrob sizzle during Bésame, whose bilingual lyrics recall the pop hits of Enrique Iglesias.
Fijese rides a rapid-fire merengue-rock groove, aided by longtime Santana keyboardist Tom Coster. It’s a confident, creative standout. Just Do It is an English-language salsa that mines an up-with-people earnestness.
Ultimately, Suhr’s biggest feat is taking so many sounds and styles but not coming across like a mere copycat. He stamps each song with his signature, making for a warm, welcoming casita.
- Joey Guerra

2009

Mango Punch's Walter Suhr is a great front man (as multiple Houston Press Music Awards wins prove), but his real talent lies in songwriting. His band Mango Punch's new CD, Una Casita Blanca (A Little White House), shows Suhr's considerable range as a writer with tunes that range stylistically from flamenco to sweet, simple pop and folk-tinged dance numbers, all of them radio-ready.

Opener "Dar y Dar" (To Give and Give), may be Blanca's strongest tune. Driven by a flamenco-style guitar, it tells the story of a one-sided love - "Dar y dar y dar y dar y no recibir nada a cambio/ Hace que el amor se vaya acabando" (To give and give and give and give and receive nothing in exchange/ Finishes a love). Another highlight is the very danceable "Vete" (Go), a laid-back brush-off - "Vete pa que sepas lo que te ha querido" (Go, so that you can know how much I've loved you").

Suhr's voice seems to have deepened over the last couple of years, not in key, but in depth. There are more layers to his vocals, and more dynamics and nuances. He continues to grow as an artist, never satisfied with "good enough," and likewise for Mango Punch's instrumentalists. If there's a shortcoming to Una Casita Blanca, it's its 38-minute running time - much too little of a good thing.
- OLIVIA FLORES ALVAREZ

2010

Si bien es cierto que Suhr es percusionista, también toca el piano, la guitarra y canta. Lo que es evidente es su dote para escribir canciones. “Lo que sucede es que es donde verdaderamente me logro comunicar. Fácil no es. Es un proceso difícil. He leído libros. Es un arte que pulo, es un oficio de orfebre”. Quizá de ese trabajo de relojería no surjan canciones rabiosas, contestatarias o subversivas, sino que lo suyo se decanta por el amor y la reflexión, ambas salpicadas de humor. Pero tampoco son canciones sencillas, de lugares comunes y frases hechas, no. “En las canciones de amor trato de evitar las cosas trilladas. En una canción de amor no quiero decir: ‘Tu cinturita, tus besos, tus labios de rubí, o sea, esas cosas oídas tantas veces. Siempre busco un ángulo diferente. Por ejemplo, Desayuno de amor habla sobre hacer el amor en la mañana, una arista que no he escuchado en la radio. Entre las divertidas tengo Tacaña, que retrata qué es estar casado con una mujer avara, o Zapatos, que habla del calzado y las mujeres. Como ves, son cosas poco frecuentes, porque la vida es tan compleja, interesante y colorida. Entonces, ¿por qué siempre lo mismo?”.
Sea como fuere, el sentimiento y las ideas expresadas corresponden mucho a su personalidad. Suhr se apresura a pedir: “Quisiera que el público que compre uno de mis discos vea el espectro completo. Que no me encasille, porque somos humanos muy complejos”.
- Jorge Sierra

2010

Si bien es cierto que Suhr es percusionista, también toca el piano, la guitarra y canta. Lo que es evidente es su dote para escribir canciones. “Lo que sucede es que es donde verdaderamente me logro comunicar. Fácil no es. Es un proceso difícil. He leído libros. Es un arte que pulo, es un oficio de orfebre”. Quizá de ese trabajo de relojería no surjan canciones rabiosas, contestatarias o subversivas, sino que lo suyo se decanta por el amor y la reflexión, ambas salpicadas de humor. Pero tampoco son canciones sencillas, de lugares comunes y frases hechas, no. “En las canciones de amor trato de evitar las cosas trilladas. En una canción de amor no quiero decir: ‘Tu cinturita, tus besos, tus labios de rubí, o sea, esas cosas oídas tantas veces. Siempre busco un ángulo diferente. Por ejemplo, Desayuno de amor habla sobre hacer el amor en la mañana, una arista que no he escuchado en la radio. Entre las divertidas tengo Tacaña, que retrata qué es estar casado con una mujer avara, o Zapatos, que habla del calzado y las mujeres. Como ves, son cosas poco frecuentes, porque la vida es tan compleja, interesante y colorida. Entonces, ¿por qué siempre lo mismo?”.
Sea como fuere, el sentimiento y las ideas expresadas corresponden mucho a su personalidad. Suhr se apresura a pedir: “Quisiera que el público que compre uno de mis discos vea el espectro completo. Que no me encasille, porque somos humanos muy complejos”.
- Jorge Sierra